Wire rope



May 14, 193.5. w. D. HoDsoN 2,000,952

WIRE ROPE Filed oct. 1o, 1932 Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT or-Fics 4 Claiml.

This invention relates to rope cores, particularly for wire ropes, and lubricants therefor.

In the manufacture of rope cores, particularly for wire ropes, it has heretofore been the prac- 5 tice to attempt to lubricate the core, but it has been heretofore impossible to procure a proper lubricant. In making the wire rope, it is the practice to compress the brous core with the wire strands into a degree of compactness that will not decrease when the wire rope is put into service. The pressure used is such as to press the fibrous core into the valleys between the wire strands surrounding the core. Under this pressure a substantial portion of any lubricating compound in the core is squeezed out into the surrounding wire strands.

The invention will be explained in detail in the following specification taken with the accompanying drawing, in which the single ligure illustrates one form of wire rope embodying the invention.

In accordance with this invention a rope core is prepared from the usual vegetable fibres such as manila, hemp or the like, with which is incorporated a relatively absorbent fibrous material,

' together with a lubricant. By proper selection of the absorbent fibrous material, an enormously greater lubricant retention may be obtained. Instead of incorporating the fibre and then lubricating the core, it is preferable to prepare a lubricant comprising the absorbent fibrous material and then force the lubricant into the strands of the rope core. It has been found that the using up or working out of the lubricant during use of the rope will leave behind the absorbent fibrous material, which upon subsequent lubrication will retain all of the advantages initially possessed thereby, and will absorb large quantities of fresh lubricant. The absorbent and lubricant fill the voids and interstices Within the core. It is preferable to incorporate the absorbent material loosely.

Finely divided asbestos is preferably used as the absorbent material. Properly cleaned, ground and fluifed asbestos will absorb as much as 14 to 16 times its weight of lubricant, whereas manila, hemp and the like will absorb only one-sixth to one-fourth of their weight. Moreover, the asbestos itself acts as a lubricant and prevents wear of the binder fibres upon each other. However, instead of the asbestos, a wide range of other absorbents may be used, such as jute, cotton, linters or the like.

Manufacturers of wire rope have established standards as to the mass of fibres to be used in cores for the wire ropes of differing sizes and with differing numbers of strands. A well made wire rope must contain a core of the proper compactness to prevent it becoming more compact in the service, which would cause the wire rope `5 to collapse, and to permit of the proper lay of the strands as they are built around the core. The strands must also fit accurately around the core so that. there will be a minimum of friction or rubbing action between the inner surfaces of l0 the strands against each other.

The absorbent material built into the core must, therefore, be of a kind that can be used in the desired quantity and not appreciably increase the size of the core when squeezed into the wire rope.

Any suitable lubricant may be used which the absorbent material will suitably absorb. It is preferred to use a grease of high tenacity and viscosity. A grease comprising seventy-two (72) parts of mineral oil, for example, viscosity naphthalene base Smackover oil, and two and one-half (2l/2) parts of aluminum oleate is satisfactory. It is preferred to incorporate therewith a minor proportion of a preservative such as dgras, creosote, thymol, pine tar or the like. One-half of 1% of dgras in the above formula is preferred.

The amount of fibrous material to be mixed with the lubricant will, of course, depend upon the absorbing qualities thereof. With a fairly coarsely ground asbestos, three parts of the above mixture may be used with one part of the asbestos, A more carefully prepared asbestos may be incorporated in smaller proportion.

Where it is desired to incorporate the absorbent material without lubricant, the material may be blown in during twisting of the strands, preferably being somewhat coated with a small amount of adhesive in the process.

Instead of aluminum oleate soaps, other aluminum soaps such as aluminum, tungate, or linoleate, may be used, or greases may be employed which have for their base any suitable gelling soap. For example, magnesium, calcium, sodium lead, zinc, or other soaps may be used.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A wire rope comprising a plurality of strands of wire wound about and pressing upon a fibrous core, said core comprising fibrous rope strands having a iinely dividedl brous material having markedlyv higher lubricant absorbing powers than the ropeilbres loosely permeated throughout the 5 interstices of the rope strands and having a lubricant distributed throughout said core and absorbent nbrous material.

2. A wire rope comprising a plurality of strands of wire wound about and pressing upon 1o a nbrous core, said core comprising fibrous rope strands having incorporated therein a plastic materiall comprising a finely divided brous material and a grease, said brous material having markedly higher lubricant-absorbing powers than the rope-fibres.

3. A wire rope as in claim 2 in which the aboleate.

vWALTER D. HODSON. 

